Over the hump
Bradford happy to be back to his best for Mount Pleasant
Published:Tuesday | January 14, 2025 | 12:21 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
MOUNT PLEASANT Football Academy continued their relentless run in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) yesterday, using 10 men to beat Racing United 3-2 at the Anthony Spaulding Complex, for their eighth straight win.
Shaquiel Bradford was the architect of the victory with two goals and an assist, and the striker, who had his struggles after making the move from Harbour View last season, was glad to be rediscovering his best form.
“Last season was really tough. I came from Harbour View in the off-season and it took a while to just fall into how the team want me to play.
“But now I think it is good. This season I have eight goals in less games and you couldn’t ask for a better performance from Bradford today. It was a good one,” he commented.
He added that with the quality players at Mount Pleasant one has to make use of their chances, and he is doing that now.
“Mount Pleasant is a quality team with a lot of quality players. Anyone the coach puts out there has to do the job.
“If I am on the bench I am going to wait on my chance. Now I get my chance and I am making use of it. I can play anywhere in the front three and anywhere the coach put me, I can deliver,” he said.
Raheem Edwards had two great opportunities in the first five minutes but failed to capitalise.
Bradford got the opening goal after nine minutes, when he got in between defenders at the back post to head home Gadail Irving’s cross
Mount Pleasant were always in control and Jahshaun Anglin came close to adding a second but his shot from 12 yards was parried by goalkeeper Carlye Holmes.
Edwards made it 2-0 in the 40th minute, firing a low shot into the back post, after good work from Bradford on the right.
Racing wasted a golden opportunity to pull a goal back just before the break, when Damorney Hutchinson stole possession from Shaquille Dyer, with goalkeeper Shaquan Davis in no-man’s land, but he inexplicably shot against the post with the goal at his mercy.
The game took a sudden twist at the start of the second half, when Irving was red-carded for deliberately stepping on Tajay Grant in the 45th minute
From the ensuing free kick, Jevoun Pascoe just needed a touch from three yards, but failed to make contact.
Despite the handicap, Mount Pleasant remained in control and immediately after entering the game, Devonte Campbell made a run from deep in his half before unleashing a shot, which Holmes pushed into the path of Bradford. The striker fired towards goal, and although Nicholas Nelson got the final touch, Bradford was credited with the goal after 67 minutes.
Grant pulled a goal back for Racing five minutes later, when the Mount Pleasant defence failed to clear and he curled the ball over Davis from the edge of the box.
Racing got another goal in time added, with schoolboy Stevaughn Spence towering over the Mount Pleasant defence to head home from a corner.
The St Catherine team thought they had an equaliser in the fourth minute of stoppage time, but Davis went full-stretch to turn away a 30-yard pile driver from Jermain Bowers.
Mount Pleasant coach Theodore Whitmore said his team showed character with 10 men.
“A man down, the guys showed character. But what matters is the win. But we do not want to get carried away. We just want to stay focused on the objective and the main objective is to get the job done,” he said.
Racing coach Anthony Patrick said the early goal was a major setback.
“We wanted to squeeze them a lot and force them to play a lot of long balls. But we made some silly mistakes at the back to give up the early goal,” he said.
The win carried Mount Pleasant to 40 points, three points clear at the top of the table, over Arnett Gardens and six ahead of Montego Bay United. Arnett kept close to the leaders after a 1-0 win over Montego Bay United in the late game.
Racing stay in 11th with 15 points.